Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch SWIFT/BIC code

BOFABE3X – the SWIFT/BIC code of Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch

Whether you are given BOFABE3X or BOFABE3XXXX, you are looking at the identical identifier for Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch in Belgium. Banks worldwide use these codes to direct payments between countries to the right bank. In daily life you mostly see the code on invoices from abroad, in payment forms and in the bank details that Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch provides.

Further down we go through the practical questions: money coming in from abroad, sending money abroad and how to verify a SWIFT code before you confirm a payment. Keep in mind that the BIC only identifies the bank, not the person: the IBAN or account number takes care of that.

The Euro and what conversion costs you

Belgium uses the Euro. If you send money in a different currency has to be converted at some point. Each conversion eats into the amount.

Who converts the money makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. Transferring the money directly in EUR usually prevents an extra conversion.

The EUR rate changes throughout the day, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. For recurring payments, small differences in the rate add up over time.

Incoming international payments to Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch

If you are waiting for money from abroad, give the sender all details at once. That means: your full name as registered with Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code BOFABE3XXXX and, often, your postal address.

Their bank may request the bank address of Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch. A typo in your account number is harder to fix than you might think.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the currency changes, an exchange rate margin applies. For business payments, you can agree how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

Euro transfers to Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch: is a BIC needed?

Within the SEPA zone, euro transfers to Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch use the same rules, so the IBAN does the job in most cases. The BIC field is often optional for those payments.

The BIC still come into play when the currency is not euros. If your banking app has a field for the BIC regardless, entering BOFABE3X does no harm.

Instant payments in euros are widely supported within SEPA. Provided the payment stays in euros, the transfer tends to be cheap; it is the conversion that costs money.

About this information

The codes on this page are taken from publicly available data that we update regularly. Still, banks merge or change codes and our data may lag behind. Counts and locations come from our own dataset.

Use this page as a reference, rather than as the last word. We are a comparison site and not affiliated with Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch. Found an error? Let us know via our contact form and we will look into it.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch

How quickly a transfer arrives at Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch is determined by a few things: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday often start the next business day. Occasionally a bank asks what the payment is for before releasing it.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer carries a unique reference, the UETR. Save the payment confirmation – you will need it for any trace request.

A missing payment is traced from the sending side on the basis of the transfer details. On the receiving end, it helps to look at your account for a slightly lower amount, since fees may have been deducted.

8 or 11 characters: BOFABE3X versus BOFABE3XXXX

Every SWIFT/BIC code has the same eight core characters: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and two characters for the location. Together, those parts form BOFABE3X.

XXX at the end of BOFABE3XXXX is not a placeholder or a mistake: it stands for the main office of Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch. Some banking apps ask for 11 characters, in which case you can add XXX after BOFABE3X.

As a rule the code is written in capitals and without spaces. A wrong character may route a payment to another bank.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch: head office code versus branch codes

Our directory lists 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch. Besides the head office code BOFABE3XXXX, there are codes for regional offices and specialised units.

Usually there is no need to pick a branch: payments sent to BOFABE3XXXX are routed within Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch without problems. Branch codes are only needed when the account holder explicitly asks for it, which is more common for business accounts and trade services.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are more likely to change than BOFABE3XXXX.

How to check BOFABE3X before you pay

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. When the code you were given differs from BOFABE3X or BOFABE3XXXX, do not guess – contact the recipient or Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch.

An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a payment being sent back or extra fees along the way. Do not forget the IBAN: an error there is more difficult to correct than a wrong BIC.

Most online banking apps check the format of IBANs and some suggest the matching BIC – that confirms the format, not the owner. Some banks now check the payee name against the account – do not ignore a mismatch warning. Sending a small amount first is worth it for large sums despite the extra fee.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Scammers regularly send payment requests containing new bank details, sometimes in an email that looks completely genuine. A correct SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine – scammers simply use real codes.

Verify new payment details through a separate channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract, never via the email that asked for the change. Urgency and secrecy are warning signs – a real supplier can wait a day. When a payment was sent to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Fraud can also work the other way. Someone sends too much and asks you to refund the extra to a new account. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

Sending money abroad from Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch

When you transfer money abroad through Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch, the visible fee is rarely all of the cost. You pay the transfer fee, possibly fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup.

Banks do not list the margin on the rate separately. A simple test: put the rate you get against the mid-market rate for the same moment and look at the difference.

Specialised transfer providers frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. Next time you send money, it is worth comparing the total cost via GoldexPay. You can still keep your account at Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Limited, Brussels Branch as the source of the money, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.